OPINION: Objection to ‘Scam alert for Uvongo ratepayers’ article

I take exception, as I am sure many ratepayers and residents in Ward 19 do, to this absolutely misleading article.

The story by Ntandoyenkosi Dlamini appears to be edited and vetted by the Uvongo Ratepayers’ and Residents’ Association (URRA) chairman, despite there being three very loud and dissenting objections at the ‘unminuted’ meeting on January 21.

This journalist was present at that meeting. Whatever happened to independent, impartial, etc, and reporting on all interested parties’ views, especially when quoted in the article?

In December 2024, on two occasions, the chairman (Hardus Coetzee) refused to address the refuse disaster about to unfold in holiday season, dismissing it as not urgent and stating that the matter would be dealt with at the normal monthly meeting scheduled on January 21.

Dissatisfied with the chairman’s refusal to act, a group of two Exco members of URRA and one ex-Exco member formed a special interest group (SIG) to address a number of challenges facing the community, with the priority being the refuse crisis.

This, in turn, established a black bag action group led by Louis Henderson (exco member of URRA) as reported in the Herald, supported by the SIG.

The strategy incorporated a three-pronged approach:
* hire of bins, discounted for businesses
* engaging a number of private individuals with bakkies to pick up bags on a fee-per-bag basis
* campaigning for community donations for hiring heavy-duty trucks as a substitute for RNM’s refuse trucks

Like any quick fix, there were a few teething problems, but ultimately, with kind donations from businesses and residents, in two weeks, Ward 19 was clean.

We believed that the URRA needed a wake-up call and lobbied for residents and ratepayers to join the URRA and become more representative than the handful of existing supporters.

We may have mistakenly stated ‘new’ raising fears that this was a parallel organisation, but on many occasions stated it was the same URRA seeking new members.

If the chairman bothered to look at the application form, he would have seen it was for the URRA, so where scamming can conceivably come from is only in his imagination.

This story has developed, and Louis Henderson was, in writing, signed by the members of Exco, terminated as a member of Exco. In turn, John Helmond resigned from the Exco.

We will assess a path ahead as the current URRA is totally ineffective, with around 200 of the roughly 4000 residents and ratepayers represented.

We all need a lot more than what we have received in the past.

QUENTIN VAN BREDA

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RESPONSE from URRA chairman

It is apparent that Quentin van Breda’s letter includes some wild, out-of-context assumptions while attempting to discredit a respected and highly rated journalist of the Caxton Group, The Fever, and indirectly misleading the media as well with his unjustifiable personal opinions, even insinuating that the URRA had edited The Fever journalist’s article before publication.

Similarly, he/they have carried out scathing media attacks on the Uvongo Ratepayers’ and Residents’ Association in an attempt to discredit our efforts in dealing with RNM’s striking worker problems.

Most allegations do not even justify a response, as they are baseless assumptions and personal opinions, but out of courtesy and to get facts into perspective, we will respond as follows:

1. Paragraph two of his letter reads ‘Dismissing as Urgent’; these are strong words, and, yes, I did disagree with his suggestions because the URRA had already approached Cogta to address the striking workers and resulting refuse pickup problems. My ‘refusal to react’, as was also stated, was because getting the full workforce back to work was the ‘obvious’ solution, as was discovered when failed efforts by the Black Bag Group resulted in fly-infested piles of refuse bags being left around Uvongo.

2. The writer’s mention of a ‘few teething problems’ to the SIG plans was a gross understatement of the enormity of the problem, as already mentioned above; their three-prong plan fell badly short of their expectations when their funds dried up, and their plan for various bakkie owners to remove refuse from residents’ properties and just dump it at the Uvongo Town Hall and various other mini ad-hoc dumping sites, also failed, because they had no alternative plans at hand to remove the rubble! A video clip on WhatsApp showed exactly how enraged residents reacted to all the fly-infested ad-hoc dump sites.

3. The clean-up and expense of clearing away these ad hoc dumping sites was not carried out by the SIG Black Bag Group but by other concerned people/groups.

4. Regarding the dismissal of a committee member and possible resignation of another member, this had nothing to do with any of the above issues but came about because of all their ranting on social media and the spreading of ‘misleading’ information.

5. Regarding the statement that the ‘URRA is totally ineffective’; this statement is wholly based on a personal opinion. The URRA has successfully dealt with many challenges over the last 18 years, always in the interests of the Uvongo residents and ratepayers.

HARDUS COETZEE
URRA chairman

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